DJI Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic 2 Zoom drones announced

DJI has finally taken the wraps off the Mavic Pro 2 drone, the follow-up to the hugely popular Mavic Pro unveiled two years ago. The new drone’s introduction should have happened last month; however, it finally saw the stage in Brooklyn, New York on August 23rd.

DJI actually announced two new drones, the Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic 2 Zoom.

DJI Mavic 2 4K camera drones

The drones are nearly identical and feature the same folding-arm design as the original Mavic. The Zoom features a 12-megapixel camera that simulates a 96mm telephoto lens. DJI states that this makes it the first drone with an optical zoom. The Pro features a 20-megapixel camera designed in conjunction with Hasselblad, the legendary camera-maker whose devices have been to the Moon and the ocean floor.

Both models can record 4K HD video and have all the autonomous flying and recording features. Those very skills are what has made previous DJI models the top choice amongst consumer drones. Furthermore, the new drones have new capabilities, including a “hyperlapse” function that creates moving time-lapse images when the drone covers a vast distance as it records.

The Zoom also features a mode that mimics the “dolly zoom” camera trick popularised by Alfred Hitchcock that appears to have the potential to create some fantastic, bizarre shots.

The new models can fly up to 44 miles per hour, have 8 GB of internal storage, and a maximum flight time of about 31 minutes on a single battery.

Price and availability

Both drones are available on DJI’s website now and should ship within about a day. The Zoom costs £1,099, and the Pro £1,299.